Cinderella Mentalist style
by Ladyof13Sorrows
Summary: Teresa Lisbon is the poor overworked maid who along with her best friend grace is just waiting to live her life the way she wants. Patrick Jane is the ever adventurous prince who along with his bodyguards rigsby and cho seek out danger and excitement when these 5 characters meet in the story of cinderella who knows what will happen. not as bad as it sound i just suck at summaries
1. Chapter 1 Tell us a story!

Cinderella mentalist

Hi everyone after re-reading my first chapter with my sis I realized how horrible my grammar was so I went through and fixed it. Hope it's easier to understand now ^_^

Ok so basically this is a take off on the Disney Cinderella, I just wanted to see how this would turn out if you like it please review if you don't then please be nice. This is my first ever fanfic so pleeeeaaasssseee be nice thank you. I know my grammer isn't so amazing so please ignore it, if anyone wants to be my Beta reader I would love to talk with you. Ok enough Rambling from me on with the story. Oh p.s I do not own the mentalist although I like many others wish I did it belongs to its respective owners. And I also do not own Cinderella that belongs to Disney.

ch1

Tell us a story!

Once upon a time there was a girl named Teresa, she lived in a small town with her father, Richard Lisbon, mother, Sarah Lisbon, and her two brothers, Tommy and James. All three of the children had their parent's dark brown hair, but Tommy took mostly after Richard, his strong jaw line, muscly build, and hot temper proved it, but he had his mother's eyes; Sarah would often laugh and say, "At least there's some of me in you." James, however, looked more like his mother; he had her fair skin, high cheekbones and her easygoing attitude. Richard liked to joke that if James grew out his hair and put on a dress he wouldn't be able to tell the two of them apart.

Teresa, on the other hand was a completely different story altogether. She was sort of a mix between Richard and Sarah, almost as though the universe couldn't decide whom she should be more like so it just crossed its fingers and hoped for the best. She had her mothers pale skin and cheekbones, but her father's straight nose and delicately shaped ears. She had inherited her mother's cleverness, however her temper was more like that of her father. And unlike Tommy and James her eyes were emerald green like Richard's.

They all lived very comfortably in a large house next to a long dirt road that led into town. The Lisbon's had three servants named Mary, Becky, and Elis, they were all well into their sixties, and one butler named Sam Bosco. Sam had known the Lisbon's since before the three children were born, and he was more like a friend then a butler. During the day while Richard and Sarah worked he would watch over the children, as their self-appointed nurse, to make sure they behaved themselves, this however was much easier said then done.

Teresa, Tommy, and James would often play tricks on the poor unsuspecting old maids. This usually resulted in lots of shouting and cursing and, on more then one occasion concluded with Sam having to drag the children off to their rooms while Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon apologized to the maids for trouble.

In most cases Sam was usually able to tell who the prankster was; Tommy's pranks were loud and attention grabbing, with lots of shrieks and yelps. For example, in the case of who put the snake in the extremely expensive teapot? You guessed it! James's pranks, though few, were much quieter and for lack of a better word nicer then Tommy's like the time when he dyed Mary's dirtiest skirt pink. Of course she was not thrilled about it but at least it wasn't her newest one. Teresa's tricks, on the other hand, were much more clever then Tommy and James, and frequently involved hiding objects. She would often try to direct suspicion away from herself, such as the time when Becky had managed to meet a nice gentleman to have tea with but could not find her new shoes. She searched everywhere for them, and in the end had to cancel with the poor man because she couldn't find any suitable shoes to wear (her shoes were later discovered hidden in Elis's room, under a pile of blankets).

Yes, life for the Lisbon's was good, until one day a horrible accident occurred. Mrs. Lisbon had been out shopping in the town when a carriage ran her over, it was later discovered that the driver had been drunk.

The funeral was held on a warm Tuesday morning at the little church in the middle of town, many people came to offer their condolences. When the service was over the remaining family and friends returned to the house. A small lunch was served in the library, and cups of tea were passed around to each person. Ladies in dark clothing and carefully made faces looked around and observed their surroundings. Some nodded with approval, while others raised their perfect eyebrows and pursed their lips distastefully at whatever objects displeased them. The older gentlemen talked softly while occasionally pausing for a drink of brandy or to puff on their cigars.

Teresa watched the guests from a large armchair in the corner of the room. She watch the women nibble on their little sandwiches and daintily drink their tea, and she watched the men laugh heartily as they puffed away on those revolting cigars. Looking around for Tommy and James she spotted them over by the fire- place with their cousins Albert, and Henry. They looked like they were having fun. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her aunt Millicent surrounded by a group of other women. They were all huddled together, and whispering furiously amongst themselves. And close by were her daughters, Anna and Hannah, they were around Teresa's age (she was 8 at the time).

Teresa didn't much like her aunt; she was a shallow, gossipy woman, and her children were even worse. She felt that they were stupid, and annoying, and boring, for example one summer Aunt Millicent visited, and she brought along Anna and Hannah (who are identical twins) and Henry. Teresa, Tommy, James, Henry, and Albert would play tag. But the twins would just sit and watch.

"Why aren't you playing?" asked Teresa.

"Because" said Hannah in her most grown up voice "Mother says that if we run we will wrinkle our dresses, and get dirty." Gesturing to their nice new white dresses.

"So?" Teresa said.

"Sooo" Anna said as though it was obvious "If we wrinkle our dresses or get dirty then we will look poor,"

"So" Hannah finished "If we don't play then we wont look poor."

"Oh" Teresa said not understanding.

"Besides tag is for babies and little children." Anna said.

"No it's not!" Teresa said indignantly "My brothers and I play it all the time, it's fun."

"You never see any grown-ups playing tag" Hannah shot back.

"My mommy and daddy always play with us!" Teresa protested.

"Well then they're dumb." Said Anna, "Yeah real dumb" echoed Hannah.

"No your dumb!" said Teresa. The twins gasped

"No we're not!" they both said at the same time. "How dare you say that to us!" Hannah said standing up, but unfortunately for her Anna was sitting on her dress, so when she tried to stand she ended up falling flat on her face. "You did that on purpose!" She yelled at Teresa.

"I didn't even touch you!" Teresa said.

"I'm gonna tell my mother." Bawled Hannah, "and I'm gonna tell her how you called us dumb, then you'll be in big trouble!" Said Anna, and with that they two of them went running off to do just that.

Teresa laughed at the memory, ah how childish she had been back then, if only she had known then what she knew now. If someone makes you angry, you take a step back breath deeply for 10 seconds then sock them with all your might. Teresa began to grow sleepy; the soft babble of voice and clinking plates and silverware had a very soporific effect on her. _I think I'll rest my eyes for a minute_ she thought to her self as her eyelids closed. She was very annoyed because only a second after she closed her eyes she felt someone shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes ready to give who ever woke her up a piece of her mind when she realized that it was Sam who was shaking her. "What's the matter Sam?" she asked sleepily.

"It's time to go upstairs for bed Ms. Teresa." He said kindly. Teresa looked around, outside the windows it was night. The moon shone brightly in the sky, and the library was empty except for her and Sam.

"Where's my father?" She asked realizing that she must have slept for much longer then a second, and that he was no where to be found. Sam frowned a bit

"He umm already went to bed." He replied.

"Oh" Teresa said "Alright then, are the boys asleep?"

"Yes they are" he replied with a smile. "The only ones still up are you and I."

"Oh well then I guess we ought to go to sleep then, shouldn't we?" Teresa said with a smile.

"Yes we should" Sam chuckled, "Come on Ms. Teresa I'll walk you to your room."

"Ok!" She said taking his hand. When they reached her room she gave Sam a hug then quickly got into her bed and snuggled up in her nice warm sheet and was soon dreaming peacefully.

~Interlude 3 years later~

"Come on Grace, you're gonna have to run faster!" Teresa called gleefully over her shoulder as she ran.

"I'm going as fast as I can." Cried Grace as she struggled to keep up; her bright orange hair flew behind her as she ran.

"Well go even faster!" yelled Teresa.

"Terry look out!" cried Grace but it was too late SMACK!

"OWWW!" Teresa yelled as she fell onto her back.

"Are you *pant pant* alright?" Grace asked breathlessly.

"Yeah but the idiot who didn't get out of my way wont be when I'm done with him!" Teresa said angrily. "What's your problem didn't you see me running?" she yelled at the other victim of the collision.

He had short curly blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was slightly taller than Teresa and maybe a year older too.

"Yes, but I assumed that when you saw me you would stop." He said rubbing his head.

"Why would _I_ stop? You're the one in the way!" She said indignantly.

"But _you _should have looked where you were going." The boy retorted smartly.

"Well so should you!" Teresa yelled back.

"I was," the boy pointed out with a smug grin.

"Why you!" Teresa said lunging at him ready to tear out his eyes and beat him into a pulp. Or that's what she would have done if Grace hadn't grabbed her at the last second.

"Come on calm down it was an accident." Grace said.

"Let me at im' let me at im'!" Teresa shouted. The boy laughed quietly

"Look I'm sorry about before." He said holding out his hand. If looks could kill his hand would have been incinerated by the glare Teresa was giving it.

"Come on I mean it I really am sorry" he said extending his hand more.

"Fine." Teresa said finally reaching out and shaking the boys hand.

"Hmm you know you have really small hands, and feet," he said casually, "My name is Patrick,"

"Ok." She said jerking her hand away with a glare.

"Now you tell me your name," he said.

"Nope." Teresa said flatly.

"But why?" He asked.

"Because." Teresa responded.

"Can I call you No Name?" Asked Patrick.

"Fine"

"Ok No Name, how about this lets play a guessing game, and if I win you tell me your name ok?"

"How does this game work?" She asked suspiciously.

"It's easy," Patrick said "you tell me things about you and I'll guess if it's true or not." He said grinning.

"Ok deal" Teresa said with a smirk. "I have 2 sisters, I have my dads eye color, my birthday is in October, and my mothers name is Rebecca." Patrick stared at her intensely for a few minutes.

"You don't have 2 sisters but I believe you do have 2 brothers, and you do have your dads eye color, you were born some time in summer I believe probably August, and your mothers name is not Rebecca." He said. Grace's mouth was wide open, but Teresa was staring at him disbelievingly

"How did you know that!" Grace yelled.

"I'm just observant." Patrick said modestly. "So can I get a name?" he asked looking back at Teresa.

"All right that was pretty impressive." She said. " My name is T-"

"JANNNEEEEE!" A loud voice yelled. They turned to see a large figure charging towards them

"EEEKKKKK!" Grace screamed. "IT'S A BEAR!" she hid behind Teresa.

Patrick laughed "That's no bear, that's just Rigsby" The boy, Rigsby, came to a stop right in front of Patrick. He was tall, with light brown hair and brown eyes, Teresa wasn't surprised that Grace had mistook him for a bear.

He looked tired and out of breath,"Finallllyyy!" he said panting hard. "Cho and I have been looking everywhere for you! You know you can't go out alone!"

"Rigsby!" came a voice from behind them, "Did you find him?"

"Yeah Cho he's right here." A tall Asian looking boy with spikey black hair walked up to them, he had a serious look on his face.

"Hi Cho long time no s—" Patrick didn't even finish his sentence when the boy Cho punched him hard in the nose. He fell to the ground clutching his face

"That's for sneaking off." Cho said his expression never changing.

"Ok I dink I deserbed dat" Patrick said in a muffled voice.

"Come on Rigsby lets get going….Rigsby?" Cho turned around to see Rigsby staring at the two girls. "Snap out of it" Cho said flicking him in the arm. Rigsby blinked a few times then seem to realize what he was doing. He muttered a soft "sorry" while blushing furiously. Cho rolled his eyes "Excuse us ladies." He said with a bow.

"Umm… bye" Rigsby mumbled still blushing.

"Bye" Patrick said still holding his nose, Teresa nodded, she watched them walk away.

Suddenly she realized that she still hadn't told Patrick her name, "Come on Grace let's go," She said before he came back and asked. "Race you home!"

Ok so that was the first chapter I know it was kinda long im sorry about that. But anyway please review if you liked it ^_^ The next chapter should be along shortly it will be called "A Dream is a W— DAMN THAT CLOCK!"


	2. A Dream is a W DAMN THAT CLOCK!

Ok everyone (3-4 awesome "fans" :P) sorry for the wait, I just want to thank you so much for your kind reviews they mean a lot to me ^_^ anyway I don't own the mentalist unfortunately, nor do I own Cinderella. P.S this story going to be a mix of Cinderella and my own ideas so be warned….rawr :P

Ch2 A Dream is a W— DAMN THAT CLOCK!

~9 years later~

She was dancing, whirling and twirling gracefully as though she had been doing it her whole life, her high-heeled shoes softly clicked as she moved about. She felt so calm, so peaceful, and completely free from all troubles and worries. Looking around she realized that the floor, upon which she was dancing, was floating; in fact it was surrounded by clouds.

Suddenly she got the strangest feeling, as though she were being watched. She turned around and noticed a young man standing in the middle of the platform, with his hand extended out towards her. She hesitated for a moment, but then sensing no danger, took it. He began to lead her in a slow waltz across the floor. While they danced she tried to study him, he was tall, and thin with wavy blond hair. The top half of his face was hidden behind a gold and silver mask, and his smile was one of both kindness and confidence.

After awhile they came to a stop, she looked at him questioningly. He reached his hands slowly reached behind his head, and he began to take off his mask Suddenly he stopped, and leaned in a little, his mouth open slightly. She realized he was about to speak.

"DINNGGG DOONNGGG DINNNGGG DONNNGG!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

She stepped hastily backwards,"DINGGG DONNNGGGG DINGGG DONNNGGG DINGGGG DONNNGGG!" he shouted even louder. "DINGG DONNGG DINNNGGGGG DONNNNGGGG!" She covered her ears in an attempt to block out the sound. The ground shook violently beneath her feet as she scrambled backwards and away from the screeching man. Suddenly the floor disappeared and she realized, to her horror that she had fallen off the platform.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH" Teresa Lisbon screamed as she tumbled onto the hard wood floor in a tangle of sheets and blankets. Beads of sweat ran down her face. In the distance the church clock chimed loudly, "Damn that clock!" she growled to no one in particular. The morning sun streamed in through her window, cheerfully blinding anyone in its path. Teresa looked around her small room and sighed. _No one should have to wake up this early_ she thought begrudgingly as the clock chimed yet again. With a loud groan she began to wrestle free from the fallen bedding. After a few minutes of violently tugging and pulling, Teresa emerged victoriously holding the defeated sheets in her arms. Setting them down on the bed she began to stretch; her fingertips lightly brushed the rough wood of the low hanging ceiling beams as she did so. "Good morning Minelli" Teresa said to a small black spider resting in its lacey web. The spider's actual name was Minettious, but, when she had told that to the boys they had trouble pronouncing it, so they called him Minelli. "How are you today?" she asked it politely. "I had that dream again, you know, the one where I'm dancing with that man?" The spider silently shifted on its web, "I would have gotten to see his face if that demon clock from hell hadn't woken me up." She said throwing a contemptuous glare towards the window. "You have to wonder how I slept through it before," she murmured shaking her head.

(Flashback)

After her mother's death, her father completely fell apart. He spent all his time drinking, throwing up and sleeping. Then one day when Teresa was 13 he came home with a young lady. Her brown hair was piled up on top of her head; and her face was very white except for two dark pink circles on her cheeks. Her mouth was bright red and her eyes were cold. Teresa had seen her around the house a few times, but had never spoken to her. "Thiiss," her father said drunkenly "thisss thiss is my fwend Webecaaa." Which translates to " This is my friend Rebecca."

"What lovely children you have Richard, I'm sure they'll get along wonderfully with my two girls" Rebecca said in a very regal voice.

"Yeah, they'reee okay." He said impatiently, as he stumbled down the hallway. A month later he announced he was going to marry Lady Rebecca.

The wedding was a grand event; the whole village had been invited. Everyone was laughing and talking and eating, except for Teresa, James, and Tommy. As soon as the ceremony had ended the three of them snuck back into the house, away from all the noise and people.

"I don't understand!" Tommy shouted angrily, as they sat in the library, "Why is dad marrying Lady Rebecca? Didn't he love mom? Lady Rebecca doesn't even love him!"

"Tommy you shouldn't say things like that," Teresa scolded him. Though privately she agreed, "and besides how do you know that she doesn't love dad?"

"Because!" Tommy said furiously, "I've seen her with that man!" "What man?" "The one who everyone's afraid of you know the one with red hair and the creepy smiley face tattoo? I saw them kissing once" "

How do you—" Teresa began,

"Oh come on Reese, I'm 11 years old I know what kissing looks like!" Tommy said exasperatedly.

"Why _is_ Daddy marrying Lady Rebecca?" James asked softly.

"Well…" Teresa said trying to explain it so that they would understand. "I think it's because…hmm, since mommy died, daddy's been very sad."

"Why is he sad?" asked James, who was 9 and didn't really remember his mother.

"He's sad because he misses her, a lot. And I think that Lady Rebecca helps him not feel so lonely." She said trying to be as convincing as possible.

"Oh" replied little James softly.

"Well I don't like her!" Tommy said defiantly, "She'll never be my mother!"

"Or mine!" cried James jumping up and running over next to Tommy.

"Hey you two," Teresa said getting their attention" Listen, I know you don't like her but for dads sake lets try to get along with her. You don't want to make dad upset do you?" she asked them seriously.

"No." they said simultaneously.

"Good, and just wait I'm sure we'll all get along terrifically!" Teresa said smiling. How very wrong she was.

It had only been several months after the wedding when Mr. Lisbon quite suddenly dropped dead.

"A heart attack," the doctor told them, "it's quite common in men his age." But Teresa knew the truth; her father had drunk himself to death.

The funeral was small and simple, Lady Rebecca stood by the thin wooden box, dabbing her eyes and sniffling loudly.

"This," she said in a voice filled with unconvincing grief, "is what he would have wanted. Richard was a man of simple taste." She paused to wipe away her invisible tears. "And in accordance with his wishes, we shall now bury him in a simple pine box and return him to the earth that he so dearly l-l-loved." She finished with a forced sob. The Lisbon children shed no tears, for they had lost their father a long time ago. And so Richard Lisbon was buried in the dirt without even a tombstone to mark his grave.

A few days after the funeral Teresa was sitting on her bed reading an interesting book about a young woman with extremely long hair, who was locked, faraway, in a high tower by her wicked mother. Teresa was wondering how one would go about washing such lengthy locks when Tommy and James burst into her room. They were both dressed in colorful costumes and brandishing small wooden swords. Tommy appeared to be some sort of villainous pirate, while James looked as if he were a noble prince.

"What's the matter with you two?" Teresa asked.

"We were playing outside, behind the house," began Tommy panting, "And we heard a strange noise, so we went around front to see what it was."

"And then," continued little James adjusting the far too large crown on his head, "just as we got to the gate, you know before the road, we saw a..a..a moving house!" he cried throwing his arms in the air.

"It wasn't a moving house you dummy!" Tommy said exasperatedly. "It was a carriage, a big gold and silver carriage!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," James said his eyes wide, "a carriage! And it stopped in front of our house!"

Teresa stared at them for a few minutes,"Are you sure you didn't just imagine that you saw a carriage?" She asked them gently.

"Yes, Reese we're sure!" said Tommy in a frustrated tone.

"Well it was probably just passing by," Teresa said going back to her book, "I mean why would a carriage stop by he—"

"Teresa! Tommy! James! Come down to the parlor!" Came Lady Rebecca's sharp voice. They all looked at one another.

"What does she want us for?" asked Tommy with a frown.

"Maybe she wants to give us food!" James said hopefully, the other two stared at him.

"Children, I'm waiting!" "Coming ma'am" Teresa called. "Come on boys lets go."

Lady Rebecca was standing by the fireplace as the children entered the room. Her brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and she wore a mask of thick makeup. Her dress was long and heavy looking; the design was an intricate pattern of dark green and black, behind her on either side stood two girls. Teresa studied them curiously. The one on the right was tall; with straight blonde hair that framed her pale, thin face, in which rested two light blue eyes. The other girl on the left was shorter and curvier. Her skin was a tannish brown color, which went well with her wavy brown hair and big brown eyes.

"Ah children, there you are." Lady Rebecca said as though she had been waiting for hours. "These are my daughters. This is Sophie," she said gesturing to the blonde girl. "And this is Lorelei." Motioning towards the brunette. "They will be living here with us." Lady Rebecca said, "Would you take us on a tour of the house Teresa?"

"Umm ok" Teresa said awkwardly as she began to lead them around the house. She showed them the kitchen, the library, the music room, the garden, the stables, "And these," She said leading them down a long hall way, "are the bedrooms."

"Ah yes, now, speaking of bedrooms they're going to need somewhere to sleep."

"Well most of these rooms haven't been used in years, so they're very dusty and dirty. But I believe we have a couple of rooms in the attic, I'm afraid they're a little sma—" Teresa began helpfully.

"The attic…THE ATTIC? Mother I don't want to sleep in the attic!" Lorelei said in a high-pitched whine. "I want this room." She said pointing to a large wooden door on the right.

"I'm sorry but that's my room." Teresa said politely.

"Oh really? Well now it's mine." Lorelei said with a smug grin.

"No it's not." Teresa said angrily.

"Mother!" Lorelei said shrilly.

"Teresa be a dear and give Lorelei your room please." Lady Rebecca said with a tight smile.

"No." Teresa said flatly. "This isn't your house so I don't have to give up anything that's mine to you."

"Actually, this _is_ my house. Your father left it to me in his will, so things are going to be a little different around here from now on." Lady Rebecca said with a cruel smile. "As of tonight the sleeping arrangements will change. You three in the attic, and us down here, and further more you children have become far to lazy," she continued speaking directly to the three Lisbon children. "So starting tomorrow you will work. You will wash dishes, do our laundry, muck the stables, cook for us, tend to the garden and do whatever needs to be done around here." She said wickedly. "But that's not fair!" shouted Tommy. "I don't care what you think is fair." Lady Rebecca said slowly advancing on the children. "Now you will do as I say or so help me God I will put out into the streets!" She shrieked. By the end of the night all their stuff was in the attic.

"I hate that witch," hissed Tommy angrily as Teresa tucked him and James into bed.

"Me too," James said with a sniffle.

"Me three." Said Teresa sitting down on the edge of the bed. They were silent for a few minutes. "So what were you playing this afternoon?" Teresa asked changing the subject to a happier topic.

"Prince and Pirate!" The boys said simultaneously.

"Although it was kinda hard to play because there was no fair maiden for me to kidnap." Said Tommy with a slight frown.

"Will you be the fair maiden next time we play?" asked James with a pleading look.

Teresa laughed, "Of course I will!"

"Reese will you tell us a story?" asked Tommy.

"Sure." said Teresa with a smile. And she told them a wonderful story about three children who escaped the clutches of and angry dragon and how they lived happily ever after.

(Present)

Teresa laughed softly, remembering all the times she had played the fair maiden or damsel in distress for her brothers. And even though they grown up now, sometimes when there was nothing better to do they would play it again.

DINGGGG DONNNGG DINNNGGGG DOOOONNNNNGGG! chimed the clock deafeningly. "Oh crap!" Teresa hissed. She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she'd lost track of time. She stumbled around her room looking for her work clothes. Throwing off her nightgown she quickly changed into a simple brown and white dress. After yanking a small pathetic looking comb through her long brown hair, which she tied into braid with a green ribbon. She then hastily began to lace up her boots while simultaneously hopping to the door. "DINNGG DONNNGG DINNNNGGG DOOONNNNGGG!" boomed the clock. The loud noise combined with her racing adrenaline startled her so much that accidently slammed her head into an extremely low hanging ceiling beam.

"OUCH!" she screamed. "DAMN THAT CLOCK!"

Kayyyy that was the end of chapter 2 I hope you liked it please tell me what you think ^_^ Chapter 3 will be along shortly.


	3. Work Work Work!

Well here it is the long awaited chapter 3 im sorry it took so long I have been really busy. Anyway I want to thank all of you kind people that reviewed or favorited, I would also like to thank my Beta reader WatsWitDaMonkey for reading this and fixing my terrible grammar and spelling mistakes THANK YOUUUUU! So with out further delay here's chapter 3

Ch3 Work, Work, Work!

"Tommy! James! Time to wake up," Teresa called, as she knocked loudly on the two thin wooden doors across the hall.

"Mfing, Goway," came Tommy's muffled voice.

"Iz too early," moaned James, Teresa sighed; guess it was just one of those days.

"Fine, don't get up," she said with a shrug, "I guess Sam and I will be the only ones eating breakfast this morning."

The rooms, which had before been silent, were suddenly alive with bumps and the sound of running feet.

The kitchen was one of Teresa's favorite rooms in the entire house. She loved the faded and peeling yellow walls, the cracked and aged tile floor, and how it always smelled like fresh bread and cinnamon. On one side of the room stood a large redbrick oven, and across from that, on the other wall, there was an old, sooty fireplace. Finally, in the middle of the room sat a small, splintery table surrounded by four splintery chairs.

Teresa went over to a pale green cabinet and pulled out four chipped plates. She was just setting them down on the table when the boys walked into the room. They had certainly changed over the years; Tommy, who was now 18, had grown up into a muscular, handsome young man with shaggy brown hair and darkly tanned skin. James, on the other hand, looked much different. His once dark hair had lightened to a pale brown that could only be described as the color of dried mud. Amazingly, even though he was only 16, he was nearly as tall as Tommy.

"Good morning!" Tommy said cheerfully as he sat down; the chair beneath him groaned loudly as he did so.

"What's for breakfast?" asked James with a yawn as he plopped into the seat next to Tommy. The chair shrieked noisily at the sudden weight placed upon it.

"Bread, cheese, and when Sam gets here with the eg—"

Suddenly there was a loud yell from outside followed by a crash. The three of them ran to the door. Tommy threw it open in time to see Sam run through the door and fall into him; they hit the floor with a thud.

"Are you alright?" Teresa asked worriedly as she and James helped them up.

"No!" Sam said angrily gesturing to four large scratches on his leg.

"What happened?" asked James as he assisted the injured Sam into a chair.

"It was that damn devil cat!" Sam hiss furiously as he sat down, "I had just finished collecting the eggs for breakfast when suddenly I see it sneaking towards the hen house. I tried to chase it away, but when I got close to it, the damn thing attacked me!" he said, wincing as Teresa began to clean his wound. "But it's not all bad, I did manage to kick the monster before it ran away," he told them with a triumphant smile.

"You did?" asked James joyfully.

"Atta boy, Sam!" Tommy cried, cheerfully clapping the older man on the back.

"You'll be happy to know, Teresa, that I did save the eggs, so you'll have something to cook with," Sam said to her with a smile.

Teresa laughed, "I'm glad, I was extremely worried that in your struggle with the vicious beast you had destroyed all the eggs," teased sarcastically as she began to cook.

"So what's for breakfast?" asked Sam as he eyed the eggs hungrily.

"The usual," Teresa said as she placed a stale piece of bread on each plate along with a small slice of cheese.

"What about for the three dragons?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Bacon, eggs, and tea," Teresa answered softly as she spooned the eggs onto their plates.

They were all silent for a few minutes as Teresa passed the food around; she handed each person a glass of water and took her seat at the head of the small table. "Well, dig in everyone." She said without much enthusiasm as they all began to pick at their food. Soon, when plates were clean and glasses were devoid of all liquid, they sat in silence for a few minutes. "Oh, I almost forgot, I have a surprise for all of you!" she exclaimed, jumping up and running toward the pantry. She pulled out a large orange from behind a pile of old broken dishes.

"Is that an orange?" James asked, his blue eyes wide.

"Yes!" laughed Teresa as she began to cut up the enormous fruit.

"Where in the world did you get that?" gasped Sam.

"From Grace, her father's fruit trees are doing well this year, so she gave me some," Teresa said smiling.

"Some? You mean there's more?" Tommy asked in disbelief, "Where is the rest of it?"

"That's a secret," Teresa said with a mischievous grin. Everyone took a slice and began to eat. Teresa bit into hers slowly, and relished the flavor bursting in her mouth; the refreshing taste of something that was both sweet and sour was almost intoxicating.

"That was one of the best things I've ever tasted," Sam said with a sigh.

"My hands are all sticky now," James whined as he attempted to lick away the last of the juice from his fingers.

"Well we've had our treat for the day, I suppose we should get to work," Tommy said, reluctantly standing up. "See you later Teresa!" He kissed her on her forehead and walked outside.

"Thanks, Reese," James said, hugging her quickly before following Tommy out of the door.

"Bye!" Teresa called to them as she began to clear off the table.

"Well, I should be going too," Sam said as he slowly rose out of his seat.

"Aw, really?" whined Teresa mockingly. She looked at Sam; he hadn't changed much from when they had been children. He had less hair then before, and his beard was grayer. He had also put on a few pounds over the years, but besides that he still looked the same.

"I'm afraid so, those animals won't feed themselves," he said giving Teresa a kiss on the top of her head before turning and limping out.

Teresa sighed and began to cook again; she watched the bacon as it sizzled quietly in the pan, turning from pink to brown. Once that was done, she started to cook the eggs. They had just begun to solidify when a loud bell rang behind her.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she said irritably. As she began to stir the eggs faster, two more bells joined the other one and the kitchen was soon filled with the sound of their impatient shrieking.

"IM COMING, GOD WOULD YOU JUST CALM DOWN? IM COM- AHHHH!" she screamed as her hand came in contact with the heated metal of the boiling water pot. "GOD, DAMN IT!" she quickly stuck her hand into the washing basin and let it soak in the cool water before continuing. With her good hand, she grabbed a ladle and carefully poured the scalding water into three small teapots accompanied by three small teacups and placed them each on three small trays. Then she quickly spooned out the eggs and bacon onto three plates and placed them on the trays. The bells rang piercingly and impatiently as Teresa unlaced her muddy boots and slipped on a pair of flats. She picked up the platters and carried them out of the room.

The ascent up the large red velvet carpeted marble stairs was a long and tedious one. She constantly had to stop to rebalance a tray or, on more then one occasion, turn around to put back on a shoe she had lost. _It's not my fault I have small feet,_ Teresa thought bitterly as she paused for what might have been the fifth time to slip back into her right shoe. Reaching the top of the stairs, she breathed a sigh of relief, then began to walk down the long, familiar hallway. The first door on the left was Sophie's room; Teresa knocked softly on the door with the tray before entering. The room smelled of strongly of lilacs and mint, two scents that Teresa thought should not go together.

"Oh, it's you," sneered Sophie. "How long does it take to make one stinking egg?"

"I'm sorry," Teresa mumbled, not sorry at all.

Sophie waved her hand impatiently, "Never mind with your gibber jabber, there's a basket of clothes by the door. I want them washed and mended by lunch, you hear?"

"Yes, Sophie," Teresa said, setting the tray on a small, circular table by the bed and picked up the basket of dirty clothing. The next room was Lorelei's. Which smelled of orchids and lilies, another two scents that did not coexist well. Teresa set the basket of Sophie's clothes outside the door and walked into the room.

"Where have you been?" asked Lorelei shrilly, "I've been ringing the bell for about ten minutes and my arms are tired."

"It took a while to make," Teresa replied simply as she placed the tray on a square trunk at the foot of Lorelei's bed.

"Well, if you take that long again, I'm going to tell Mother!" Lorelei threatened for the fourth time that week.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again," Teresa said for the second time that day.

"I have some dresses that need mending. I'm going out this afternoon, so I want them done by then." Lorelei said, pointing to a mountain of dresses with numerous frills and poufy sleeves; she hadn't even bothered to put them in a basket. With a sigh Teresa picked the dresses and hauled them and herself out the door. Before she had even taken two steps down the hall, a scream erupted from Sophie's room.

"AHHHH A MOUSE, THERE'S A MOUSE IN MY ROOM!" Sophie screeched as she tore out of her room and down the hall. The door to Lorelei's room flew open as she ran out to see what all the commotion was.

"This is your fault!" she yelled at Teresa accusingly, "You purposely put a mouse in her room! I'm telling Mother!"

"But I didn't do anything!" Teresa said incredulously as she watched Lorelei run after her sister. They both darted into the room at the very end of the hall, and then all was quiet. Teresa walked into Sophie's room and looked around; in the corner of the room she saw a small, light gray mouse desperately clawing at the wall hoping to find some sort of an escape root.

"Poor little thing," she murmured as she watched it scratch furiously at the wood. She put down the last tray and grabbed a silky pink scarf, with which she carefully scooped up the small creature and took it downstairs to the front door and let it out and watched as it scampered away into the tall grass. She walked back up the tedious stairs to Sophie's room and collected the tray. She was just about to pick up the laundry basket when the she heard the girls come out of the room.

"Mother wants to speak to you," Lorelei said with a smug smile. Teresa sighed and walked down then hall and then into the room. She shut the door quietly behind her and heard a scuffling noise from outside, no doubt it was Lorelei and Sophie fighting over who got to see through the keyhole. The room smelled of perfume and must, and heavy curtains covered the windows blocking any light from outside. A small lamp burned dimly next to the bed, giving the room a sense of eeriness. Lady Rebecca sat in the middle of the large bed, petting a black and white cat gently as she stared at Teresa.

"Come here," she ordered. Teresa walked over slowly, still holding the tray in her hands. "Put that down," Lady Rebecca said sharply, and Teresa set the tray down on the bed. She watched as Lady Rebecca poured the hot water into the cup. She added the tealeaves and took a sip.

"You don't think I would really—" Teresa began.

"Be quiet!" snapped Lady Rebecca, and Teresa fell silent. "It seems we have too much time on our hands," Lady Rebecca began taking another sip of the tea. "Enough time to play childish pranks and malicious practical jokes. Let's see what we can do about that," She said stirring her tea thoughtfully.

"But I didn't do—"

"Silence! I know a better way to use your time," Lady Rebecca continued with a cruel smile, "the floor by the entrance way looks rather dirty; clean it! And the windows are becoming far too smudgy; wash them! And I believe that the drapes in the east wing need sewing; Walter had a bit of fun with them yesterday," Lady Rebecca said, motioning to the cat, Teresa glare at the creature. "Also the mirrors need to be done."

"But I just cleaned those yesterday—"

"Hold your tongue! I also need a few things from the market, there's a list by the door, then on top of that you have your regular duties," Lady Rebecca mused, taking another sip of tea. "You may go now."

"Thank you," Teresa mumbled, barely containing her anger. She snatched up the list by the door, gabbed the laundry basket and the pile of dresses, and marched angrily down the stairs back to the kitchen.

After dumping off the clothes on the table, Teresa laced up her boot, took an old beaten up basket from the cupboard, and headed out the back door towards the market.

"Teresa! Teresa!" called a familiar voice, Teresa turned around to see a tall, thin young woman with vivid red hair running towards her.

"Grace!" she called with a wave.

"How are you today?" Grace asked cheerfully

"Peachy," Teresa said sulkily.

"Oh, is that old witch being nasty again?"

"How'd you guess?" Teresa gasped with false surprise.

"Just lucky, I suppose," Grace replied with a laugh. "How did you like the fruit?"

"It was wonderful, thank you so much for giving me some," Teresa said gratefully.

"Think nothing of it," Grace said smiling. "I have to buy some tomato and onion seeds for my father's farm, what are you going into town for today?"

Teresa looked at the list in her hand, "Meat, bread, cheese, cakes, fabric and more of that tea that Lady Rebecca likes."

"How can she drink that stuff?" Grace asked, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Beats me, I tried it once before."

"What did it taste like?" Grace questioned, her eyes wide.

"Minty water; I think she drinks it because tea is what the ladies of high society approve of," Teresa said as they reached the town gates.

"I've never met a man who drank tea; I wonder if there is one," Grace said thoughtfully.

Teresa laughed, "If there is I would sure like to meet him. Well, I'm off to the bakery, see you later Grace!" after giving her friend a quick hug she set off into the town.

The bakery was a small shop in the middle of the market, and was owned by an old married couple with sweet smiles and bad eyesight. It constantly smelled of fresh bread, apple pie, lemon and cinnamon. Teresa walked over and rang a small bell on the counter. After a few moments, a thin old man came out and stood behind the counter. His face split into a wide grin when he saw Teresa.

"Is that young Mr. Tommy? How are you, my boy?" he asked in a creaky voice.

"It's Teresa, Mr. Nicholas," she corrected him with a laugh. The old man fumbled for his glasses.

"So it is you, Miss Teresa, I'm sorry, I thought you were your brother," he said, shaking his head.

"That's alright Mr. Nicholas; how are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine, just fine. So, _Miss_ Teresa," he said, emphasizing the 'Miss' in her name, "what can I get for you?"

"I'd like a loaf of bread, one of your famous apple pies, and a bag of lemon tarts," Teresa told him smiling.

"Alright, coming up. Mary dear, could you come here a minute?" he called. A plump, old woman shuffled out from the back room; she smiled when she saw Teresa.

"Why, if it isn't little James, how are you dearie?" She said her voice squeaky with age.

"It's Teresa dear," Mr. Nicholas said to her.

"What?"

"IT'S TERESA!" he shouted so that she could hear him.

"Oh hello my dear! My eyesight isn't what it used to be," Mrs. Nicholas squeaked.

"That's alright, Mrs. Nicholas!" Teresa said loudly.

"My dear, could you please fetch Teresa a loaf of bread and a bag of lemon tarts," the old man said, pulling out an apple pie from a large rack behind him.

"I don't think we sell heads and hearts, but if you visit the butcher I'm sure he could help you," replied Mrs. Nicholas smiling sweetly.

"No dear a loaf of bread and a bag of lemon tarts!" shouted Mr. Nicholas.

"Oh, well, we serve those," Mrs. Nicholas informed them as she went into the back.

"You'll have to excuse her, she's a little hard of hearing," said Mr. Nicholas, smiling apologetically.

Teresa laughed, "That's alright, I don't mind."

"Here you are dearie," chirped Mrs. Nicholas, handing her the pastries and bread. Teresa paid for the items, said goodbye to the couple, and was just walking out of the shop when she was almost run over by a very tall man with light brown hair.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he apologized, "have you seen a young man with blond hair and a red sword?"

_'What a bizarre question to ask,' _thought Teresa, "No, I'm sorry, I haven't," she told him shaking her head.

"Rigsby! Have you found him yet?" asked a tall, though not as tall as the other man called Rigsby, Asian man.

"Not yet Cho. God, this is the third time this week!" Rigsby huffed exasperatedly.

"Come on, he's around here somewhere lets go," Cho said, running off towards the town gates.

"If you see him Miss, please come find us! Thank you," Rigsby told her quickly before he ran after Cho.

_'That was extremely odd,' _Teresa thought, '_and I'm sure I've heard the names Rigsby and Cho before.' _She shook her head and continued on with her errands. She visited the butcher and the fabric store and was just leaving the teashop when she bumped into someone.

"Excuse me sir, I'm sorry."

"It's quite alright Miss Teresa," Said a familiar and unpleasant voice.

Teresa snapped her eyes upward and found herself face to face with Red John.

"You!" she gasped, her eyes wide.

"Hello, how is Lady Rebecca?" Red John asked with a grin.

"She's fine!" Teresa said as she started to walk away but he blocked her path.

"That's good, and how are you?" he inquired, still smiling.

"I'll be much better once I'm away from you," she growled, pushing past him. Suddenly, he grabbed her arm, and she cried out in pain.

"You need to learn manners my dear," he snarled, pulling out a small knife, the smile never leaving his face.

"Let go of me!" Teresa yelled, struggling frantically in his grip.

"Maybe this will teach you to speak with a more civilized tongue when talking to others," he hissed, his smile widening as he watched her claw desperately at his fingers. Teresa gasped at the cold metal that suddenly touched her cheek.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a voice calmly behind them.


	4. Princes, Fabrics and Punches

(E/N: Sorry! It is absolutely my, WatsWitDaMonkey, fault that this wasn't posted sooner! Don't hate the author, she got it to me on time!)

I want to thank all my wonderful fans that support and review my story, and I would also like to thank my wonderful Beta Reader WatsWitDaMonkey who's amazing skills with grammar and language save my story from being unreadable THANK YOUUUU!

**Chapter 4 Princes, Fabrics and Punches**

Who can say what a perfect morning is? Is it waking up to smell of fresh blueberry pancakes that your mother cooked especially for you? Or is it that moment when you're lying in bed and you realize that today is going to be the most wonderful day of your life?

For King Alexander the perfect morning was like this: he would wake up in his nice comfortable bed made of goose and swan feathers. Rolling to the right he would see his beautiful queen, Genevieve, sleeping right there beside him, with her lips curled in that enchanting smile she got when she was having a good dream. The King would then shake her gently and watch as her eyelids slowly open up to reveal her gorgeous blue eyes. She would blink for a few seconds then look at him and smile softly, then the King would smile back and give her a good morning kiss.

Getting out of bed, they would throw back the window curtains and take in the view of their kingdom, the small scenic village filled with bustling people all shouting and running about. Behind its rooftops lay rolling hills with blades of grass so green you'd think they were emeralds, and off in the distance the sapphire blue of the lake was sparkling in the sunlight. After a few moments of looking, King Alexander would sigh contently then he and his queen would go to their separate rooms to change and get ready for the day. When they were both washed and dressed, King Alexander and Queen Genevieve would meet outside their bedroom door and, arm in arm, would walk down to breakfast. As they swept into the dining room they would see the prince sitting at the large mahogany table eating perhaps a piece of toast. He would smile and wave at them as they took their seats, then they would talk with him and he would tell them how excited he was to take over kingdom, get married, and give them grandchildren.

Yes, that would have King Alexander's perfect morning; unfortunately today, and most days, this was not the case, in reality the King's morning started like this: King Alexander and Queen Genevieve were standing by the window admiring the view when suddenly their bedroom door burst open and two men came crashing into the room. One was tall with spikey light brown hair and the other was Asian with a serious expression, the king instantly recognized them as his son's bodyguards, Rigsby and Cho.

"Your Majesties!" Risgby said loudly and nervously, "I-that is we are very sorry to bother you, but unfortunately we have a slight situation that I-I mean, we believe you should be aware of!"

_Please don't let it be what I think it is, please don't let it be what I think it is, _The king pleaded in his mind. "What seems to be the trouble, Risby?" He asked, dreading the answer.

"Well sir it's sort of like this, what I mean, is um, that is to say that—"

"The prince has left the castle again and we have no idea where he is." Cho interrupted bluntly.

"What? Again?" gasped the Queen putting her hand to her heart.

"Have you searched everywhere in the castle?" asked the King.

"Yes, sire, he's not here. I'm pretty sure he went down to the village again," said Cho nodding towards the window.

"Cho, I want you and Risgby to go and look for him in the village, take one or two more guards to help you," commanded the King.

"Yes your Majesty!" they said in unison before running out the door.

"I swear that boy is always causing trouble. Why can't he just listen?" Growled the King in frustrated.

Ever since he was little the prince, Patrick had been a precocious handful. He always questioned this and wondered about that, but now King Alexander was proud that his son was so very bright. His observation skills and ability to learn were simply astounding, he had gone through every tutor in the palace by the time he was seven!

Then one day the traveling circus came through the town and the prince begged his father to let him go, King Alexander, being the kind and loving person he was, had let his son go to the circus. It was there that Patrick met Vladimir the Great who specialized in hypnotism; the prince immediately became fascinated by it and requested that Vladimir stay for a while and teach him. Soon he was enchanting butlers and mesmerizing maids with his new found talent. _That's probably how he got out, _thought King Alexander regretfully. _I wonder what he's doing at this moment._

At that moment Prince Patrick Jane was walking through the busy market square whistling. He loved it there, with its numerous shops all filled with different smells and sights. At his side was his sword, the blade was blood red, and the hilt was silver with a ruby placed in the center. The sheath was a crimson color decorated only by a roaring golden lion; all in all it was a beautiful weapon.

Patrick nodded and smiled politely to an old woman selling brightly colored cloths _She probably brought those from a foreign country and, judging by her skin, I would say have to say Italy, possibly somewhere in the south. _He thought, watching as a young man walked up to her carrying a large roll of light pink fabric. The man was short; his curly brown hair was almost completely covered by a black cap that reminded Patrick of the hats the French wore, berets, and his dark eyes shifted nervously above a large squashed nose as he approached the old woman.

"Excuse me ma'am," he said in a husky voice, "I was wondering if you would like to buy this fabric." He held out the rosy colored cloth for her to inspect. She slowly ran her gnarled hands over the material turning it this way and that.

"Where is fabric from?" The old woman asked in a soft and heavily Italian accented voice, the man's eyes shifted as he spoke.

"It's from Africa, a friend of mine just got back from there," he replied, while nervously tapping his foot on the cobblestones. The woman examined the cloth a little bit more, she pulled it and twisted it and draped it around herself before finally giving it back to the man.

"How much you want?" She inquired pulling out a small, ragged looking purse from underneath the folds of her dress. The man's eyes lit up hungrily at the sight of the bag.

"Um well let's see, it is from Africa so I think about—"

"I wouldn't waste a penny on what this man has to offer," called Patrick, walking over to them.

"What the hell do you mean?" The man shouted angrily.

"What I mean is that you are a thief," Patrick answered as though it was obvious. He placed his sword on the cart as the old woman looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise.

"What you mean?" She asked worriedly.

"The fabric this man is trying to sell you is not from Africa at all. In fact I'd say it's from the town next to ours"

The old woman gasped and looked at the man, "Is true?"

The man glared furiously at Patrick. "Of course it's from Africa, what the hell does he know about fabrics?"

"I know that African fabrics are usually more orange or green and are very rarely pink," Patrick responded as he grabbed the cloth from the man.

"Hey, give that back!" shouted the man.

"Not yet, I need to prove a point."

"And what point would that be?" The man asked, heatedly crossing his arms.

"This!" said Patrick and he tore the fabric right down the middle.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" cried the man, lunging at the shredded material.

"I'm proving to her that you're a liar and a crook, " Patrick said, holding it just out of the man reach. "Real African cloth wouldn't have torn so easily, I should know I have a very nice blanket made from African cot—" Before he could finish his sentence the man drew back his fist and punched him in the stomach as hard as he could. Patrick doubled over and began to gasp as the wind was knocked out of his lungs; the old woman walked over to the man and slapped him in the face.

"Crook! Thief! Liar! Swindler!" She screamed at him as he ran off into crowed clutching his cheek. She walked back over to Patrick, "Ok?" She asked him gently.

"Yes I'm fine," he wheezed,

"Thank you," The woman said softly as she placed his sword on the ground beside him.

After a few moments of deep breathing, Patrick stood up, a sharp pain in his stomach caused him to wince as he did so, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. Picking up his sword, he thanked the old woman and continued on his stroll through the town, at a much slower pace of course. He visited the shoemaker, then the bookstore, and decided to by a croissant from the bakery. That visit in itself was quite interesting, when he had entered the shop the owner, Mr. Nicholas, and his wife were speaking intensely about some girl named Teresa.

"Henry, we should tell the King," the old woman was telling her husband.

"But my dear, you know what that man would do to us if he ever found out," said Mr. Nicholas, his tone filled with worry.

"I don't care! That monster doesn't scare me, I'd like to see him try and get past my rolling pin!" Mrs. Nicholas dared loudly, picking up a large wooden spoon and waving it around.

"Mary, please, don't speak of such things so carelessly," the old man pleaded.

"But Henry, that poor girl is being so badly mistreated in that house, forced to wash and clean everything for that evil woman and her two vile daughters! It's just not fair!"

"I know my dear, but there's nothing we can do about it, and besides Teresa is a very strong gir—" Mr. Nicholas stopped, realizing that there was someone else there. He turned to Patrick, squinted, then smiled. "Oh my dear, it seems we have a customer, yes young lady what would you like?"

Patrick smiled as he finished off the tasty bread, _I've never been called a woman before, that's a new experience. _He stopped to admire the large concrete fountain in the middle of the square; the water inside was a cool, clear blue, which dazzled as it reflected the morning sun. _Hmm where to now?_ He thought as he looked around the busy cobblestone streets. Out of the corner of his eye Patrick caught sight of two men walking through the crowded market place, one was tall with brown hair, the other one was shorter with spikey black hair and a serious expression.

"Rigsby! Cho!" he called loudly; their heads shot up, and, after a moment of looking around, they spotted him. Patrick waved to them and took off running. He ran through the crowds of people, all shouting and rushing about, then he ran through the ally ways and small streets. Finally, he came to a stop and looked behind him, Rigsby and Cho were nowhere to be seen. He smiled and breathed heavily. Looking around, he spotted a small shop that's sign read Albert's Exotic Tea's and Spices. _Perfect, I've been looking for new tea! _He thought with a grin. Ten minutes later, he walked out of the shop with a basket of tea bags. He was about to walk down to the bookstore when he heard a cry from behind the shop. Patrick quickly hid the basket under a large wagon before running around back to see what was going on. He peeked out from behind the wall and saw a tall man with light red hair holding tightly onto the arm of a young woman, he couldn't see her face but he could hear her voice, it was filled with anger and fear.

"Let go of me!" he heard the woman cry, the man spoke too softly for Patrick to hear but suddenly he pulled out a knife and held it to the woman's face. Before he could stop himself, Patrick walked out from behind the building and said as calmly as he could, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."


	5. Damsel in distress (Don't I get a kiss?)

Dear everyone,

*****ahem* I just wanted to apologize to you all for taking so long to write this chapter, and I beg for your forgiveness. In the future I promise updates will happen much more regularly. Thank you all for reading, supporting, and liking my story I love you all very much. And I want to give a special thanks to my amazing beta reader WatsWitDaMoney for editing this for me THANK YOU

Chapter 5 Damsels in Distress (Don't I Get a Kiss?)

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a voice calmly behind them. Red John paused; he hadn't been expecting someone to interrupt him. Teresa stiffened in his grasp. Red John turned his head towards the speaker and saw a young man walking out from behind the corner of the teashop.

"Who are you?" Red John asked, annoyed at the distraction.

"Who I am is neither here nor there, however it seems as though we have a problem," the young man replied.

"Hmm I don't really see the problem," said Red John impatiently.

"The problem, sir, is that you are holding that young woman at knife point and I cannot allow you to harm her, so if you would be so kind as to let her go it would be much appreciated," the young man explained with a smile; Red John felt Teresa squirm against him and with a frown he tightened grip. She became still again.

"I'm afraid I cannot comply with your request but please believe me when I say I will try not to enjoy killing her too much," Red John said turning back towards Teresa; suddenly he heard a metallic scraping sound as the man drew his sword.

"I really don't want to fight you," the young man said behind him, "but if you will not let her go willingly I will have to make you release her by force." Red John smiled; it had been a long time since someone had challenged him to a fight, but he had things to do places to be and no time to play.

"Oh are you?" Red John asked softly, he felt his heart beating faster, pumping adrenalin throughout his body; he smiled. Suddenly Red John spun around and faced the young man; the knife was now against Teresa throat. Red John saw the boy's eyes widen and his smile grew, "So you're going take her by force boy? Lets play a little game shall we? It's called 'Can You Stop Me Before I Slit Her Throat?'"

Teresa was afraid (though she would never admit it to anyone). Red John's hands held her in an iron grip, his knife hovering dangerously over her throat.

"_So you're going take her by force boy? Lets play a little game shall we? It's called 'Can You Stop Me Before I Slit Her Throat?'" _Teresa heard him say. She stared at the young man standing across from her - he was tall and thin, with short, wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. _'Strange,'_ she thought _'he looks familiar.'_

"Well boy, what will it be?" Red John inquired, as he pressed the knife to Teresa's throat, pulling her from her thoughts.

The young man looked at him and then, without warning, hurled his sword across the small alley. It clanged loudly as it crashed into a small pile of old cups and battered teapots from the shop. Teresa gaped at the man '_So much for being rescued'_ she thought with a sigh. At least it was easier to breath now that the knife wasn't pressing on her –_wait_- Teresa felt her heart skip a beat; Red John had been so distracted by the sword that he had let his hand fall to his side. She had to act fast before he could realize his mistake and then she'd be back where she had started.

"Is that the best you can thr-" was all he managed to get out before Teresa slammed her head back into his throat. With a loud gurgle he collapsed, bringing her down with him, and began gasping for air. Teresa hit the ground hard, she lay there for a moment stunned, then rolled over on to her side and started to get up. Suddenly, a handed grabbed her ankle and caused her to trip. She looked back and saw Red John, he held on to her tightly with one hand, while holding his knife in the other.

"You bitch!" he wheezed bringing the knife closer, "I'm going to kill-" but before he could finish Teresa kicked him in the face, with a howl he let go. She felt a hand on her shoulder, turning around she saw the blonde man was behind her.

"Come on," he yelled, helping her up, "let's go!"

They began to run. Teresa looked back and saw Red John crouching on the ground; he looked up at her, his face was twisted into a mask of rage and agony, then he disappeared as they rounded the corner. They kept running, the man was a little ways ahead of Teresa, she turned around to see if Red John had followed them and ran smack into the man, who had stopped suddenly, sending them crashing into the ground. They lay there for a moment panting and wheezing. Teresa sucked in lung fulls of air, she was vaguely aware of her companion gasping beside her.

"Why the hell did you stop?" she managed between breaths.

"I realized I left something very important back at the tea shop," he answered, still gasping.

"Well you didn't have to stop right in the middle of the street! You could have warned me!" Teresa snapped.

"Well, you could have looked where you were going," the man countered smartly, standing up and brushing himself off.

"_I_ could have!" She yelled furiously scrambling to her feet.

"Yes, if you had been more aware of your surrounding then you would not have so carelessly run into me," he explained.

"I'm sorry if I'm a little distracted, but if you recall I was held hostage by a madman not ten minutes ago!" Teresa shouted.

"Well if _you_ recall, _I_ am the one that saved you from that madman, so maybe you should show a little gratitude," responded the man, angrily crossing his arms. Teresa was silent for a moment then with a sigh she acknowledged defeat.

"You're right," she began.

"I know I am," he assured her with a nod, Teresa fought down the urge to punch him.

"Anyway," she continued through gritted teeth, "you did save me, so thank you."

"You're welcome," the man said smugly looking at her, Teresa had to dig her nails into her palms to keep from slapping him. He stared at her expectantly.

"What?" she snapped unnerved by his gaze.

"Don't I get a kiss?" he asked finally.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't I get a kiss for saving you?" he repeated slower, she glared at him with an expression that said 'this had better be a joke.' "Well?" he asked again, "don't I?"

Teresa stared at him in disbelief, "you can't be serious," she laughed weakly.

"Oh, but I am, though," he said without any trace of laughter, Teresa stared at him for a moment.

"Fine, close your eyes and I'll give you a kiss," she said finally, and he did just that.

Patrick laughed inwardly, this girl whoever she was, was like no one he had ever met. Her fiery personality and fierce temper amused him greatly. He had barely been able to keep a straight face at her reaction to him asking for a kiss, it was only a joke of course, and he knew she would probably flee while he had his eyes closed. Patrick listened carefully for the muted click of her boots on the cobblestones as she tiptoed away, or her sharp intakes of air as she tried to breathe quietly as possible. He smiled as the first click broke the silence, soon followed by another and another, his smile turned into a frown. The clicks seemed to be getting closer, was she actually going to kiss him? He wondered. '_I should tell her this is just a joke"_ he thought to himself. He opened his eyes just in time to see her swinging a wooden board at his head.

"What the-?" he yelled ducking.

"You sick bastard!" she shrieked, swinging again and again. "How dare you! You're just as bad as Red John!"

"Red who? Wait! I was only joking!" He yelled as he continued to dodge.

"Jane!" a voice called from behind them, Patrick sighed with relief at the sound of his familiar nickname carried through the air by familiar voices.

"Rigsby! Cho!" He called to the two men that approached. "Thank god you're here! Would you please disarm this madwoman?"

The two bodyguards looked from Patrick to Teresa then to Patrick and then finally back to Teresa.

"Excuse me miss?" Rigsby asked politely.

"Yes?" Teresa said without turning around.

"Is there any particular reason that you're trying to hurt our friend over there?"

"Yes, why? Are you going to stop me?" she turned and glared at him murderously.

"No, no. Just making sure you weren't crazy; carry on," Rigsby replied with a wave of his hand.

"What?" they all heard Patrick shout from behind, Teresa smiled.

"Thank you for your understanding."

"No problem," Rigsby said returning her smile with his own grin.

"We know how you feel," Cho told her quietly, "but we can't do anything to him, so hit him extra hard for us."

"Will do!" she called before running after Patrick.

"Come on. Cho? Rigsby?" Patrick laughed worriedly as Teresa slowly advanced on him "You're not really going to let her hit me are you?"

"Yes!" They responded in unison.

"DIIIINNNNNGGGGGG DONNNNNGGGGG DINNNNNNNGGGGG DONNNNGGGGG" Thundered the clock as it began to strike.

"Oh no!" Teresa moaned spinning around to glare at the towering timekeeper.

"I have to go!" she sighed, dropping the board and hurrying away. She stopped then, turned around and walked back over to Patrick who took a step back.

"Why did you save me anyway?" she asked curiously, he gave her a funny look.

"Why wouldn't I? You were a damsel in distress, I couldn't stand around and do nothing," he told her, she raised an eyebrow,

"Damsel in distress?"

"Yes you know, the fair maiden, the beautiful princess," Patrick elaborated dramatically.

"Oh I see, well again thank you," she said before running off.

"Bye!" he called, waving. Rigsby and Cho walked over.

"I'm a little sad we didn't get to see her hit you," Cho stated, and Rigsby nodded.

"Well you guys would never have really let her hit me right?" Patrick questioned with a smile.

"Of course not, Jane!" Rigsby assured him with a clap on the back.

"What kind of body guards would we be?" Cho asked, walking off towards the castle. Patrick stood there for a moment he gave one final look in the direction the girl had walked off and then jogged over to his two friends.

"I don't think you were being sincere," Patrick told them.

"No. We're completely sincere," Cho responded and they all laughed.

"Come on!" Rigsby laughed, "lets go home."

Red John stared at the small oval table in front of him; its surface was covered with cuts both deep and shallow. He stabbed his knife in to the wood making yet another mark. '_She will pay' _he thought venomously. His encounter with Teresa today had been less then successful, he had only wanted to scare her, or maybe just cut her up a little. The thought of her face in fear and pain made his heart race, he wanted to kill her! Oh yes he did! But how? When? With snarl he once again buried the knife into the wood, imagining it was Teresa.


	6. I wonder

Hello my dears, I know it has been far too long since I have updated and I am so sorry and I will try my very best to update this more regularly. I hope that you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me for keeping you waiting for so long. Please read and review I love you all.

**Chapter 6: I wonder**

Teresa sprinted home, her feet kicking up clouds of dust as they repeatedly hit the dirt road. The mansion sprung on her left and she slowed her pace to a brisk walk. The house looked so strange sitting there alone in the dim twilight, like a lonely lady all dressed up and beautified, yet no one was willing to speak to her. _'You reflect your owner very well.' _Teresa thought dryly, wiping away a bead of sweat. As the sky became darker, the air grew livelier. The night began to play it's evening symphony, conducted by a gentle summer breeze that blew from the east and featuring the talents of the crickets and the bullfrogs with an occasional solo from a lone owl that hooted in the distance.

Teresa approached the back of the house slowly, listening to the many concertos and intricate melodies the nocturnal creatures produced. With a sigh she opened the kitchen door and, leaving behind the sounds of night, reluctantly entered. Darkness had settled over the manor and Teresa quickly lit a candle and placed it on the table. It glowed brightly and happily. She began to look for her basket, then groaned loudly realizing when Red John had grabbed her she had dropped it on the ground.

"Great!" she muttered angrily, "Just great!"

With a frustrated growl she picked up the candle and stalked out of the room. There was a rather large number of torches and lamps around the large mansion, which all had to be lit in the evening. It was a tedious and time-consuming task that Lady Rebecca had of course delegated to Teresa. She walked through the house carefully lighting each one. She had just begun lighting the lamps in the hallway upstairs when Lorelei burst out of her room, nearly knocking Teresa and the candle over.

"Thief!" She shrieked running into Sophie's room.

"What did I do?" Teresa heard Sophie inquire innocently.

"You stole my necklace!" Cried Lorelei, "The one with the ruby in it!"

"I did no such thing!" Sophie snapped back defensively.

"Liar! It's right there on your dresser!" Screeched Lorelei. There was a loud squeal from Sophie's room and a moment later they two girls came staggering out with Lorelei holding Sophie by her long blonde hair.

"Let go!" Sophie yelled clawing desperately at the Lorelei's hands.

"Not until you give me back my necklace!" Lorelei shouted, tugging harder.

"Why is it so special to you anyway?"

"Because Todd gave it to me as a gift!"

Todd was the son of a wealthy merchant who lived in the village close to the castle. Or at least that's what he had told Lorelei. From the first day he had seen her he was smitten, and completely in love. He would often tell her there was no other girl for him, and that she was the prettiest woman in the world. Lorelei liked how he showered her with affection.

"Todd who?" shouted Sophie.

Lorelei glared at her, "Todd Blackwood!"

"What? Why would he give anything to you?" squealed Sophie in pain and surprise.

For you see Todd had told _her_ that he was the son of a wealthy advisor to the king. At the sight of Sophie he was instantly infatuated by her and told her that he had never been so in love with someone and that not even angels where as beautiful as she. Sophie enjoyed the things he bought for her.

"You don't even know who he is!" Lorelei snapped.

"Yes I do and he fancies me!" Sophie howled.

Lorelei gasped, "What?"

"That's right! He loves me, he said so himself!" Sophie grinned triumphantly despite her current situation.

Lorelei tugged harder and screamed, "You're a liar!"

Teresa watched the two of them fight over who Todd fancied more. The Todd Blackwood she knew was the son of a poor locksmith both of whom were notorious (to those who had seen them at the bar) for their drinking; apparently the apple did not fall far from the tree. When Todd wasn't roaring drunk he was chasing after every girl in town. Teresa was startled from her thoughts as Sophie and Lorelei slammed into the wall next to her.

"Give it to me! It's mine!" screamed Lorelei still holding on tightly to the now messy and tangled blonde locks of her sister.

"No you don't deserve it. It should be mine! He loves me! I bet he only gave it to you so that you would leave him alone!" Sophie yelped, attempting to claw at Lorelei's face. Suddenly there was a loud bang as the door to Lady Rebecca's room flew open and she strode out. Her eyes were narrowed into slits and her mouth was pulled down in a harsh angry frown.

"I have told you girls a thousand times to be quiet! I have a horrible headache and your constant bickering only makes it worse!" she roared over the shrieks and squeals coming from the two girls. They instantly let go of one another and scrambled forward.

"Mother!" Lorelei whined reaching Lady Rebecca first, "Sophie stole my necklace! The one Todd gave me!"

"I was just taking what is rightfully mine! Todd loves me so I should have it!" Sophie countered pushing her sister out of the way.

"No he doesn't, Mother, Todd loves me! He said that he d-" Lorelei began, her pitch rising as her fury grew.

"I don't care which of you he loves!" Lady Rebecca hollered at them. "I don't want to hear another word about this! Both of you go to your rooms!"

"But Mother!" they wailed in unison.

"Go!" she bellowed, and the two of them rushed away pushing and shoving each other as they moved down the hall. Once they were gone Lady Rebecca let out a frustrated sigh. Those two were more trouble than they were worth. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to soothe her pounding head.

Teresa took this opportunity to quietly sneak away before Lady Rebecca noticed she was there. She would realize that she had a target to take her anger out on and then she would blame Teresa for every misfortune that had ever occurred to her. So Teresa tiptoed silently down the hallway towards the staircase.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lady Rebecca growled. Teresa froze. "Come back here."

She stared at the steps only three feet away from where she stood. She had been so close! Teresa knew she could out run Lady Rebecca easily, and briefly considered doing just that, but the thought was quickly banished. It wasn't worth all the trouble she'd have to deal with later if she ran. _'Better to get it over with now and be done with it' _Teresa decided reluctantly turning around and walking back to stand in front of Lady Rebecca. Her stepmother glared at her as she approached, taking in Teresa's messy appearance with cold, judgmental eyes.

"You're filthy! What did you do roll around in dust?" She snapped at her.

'_Yep that's it.'_ Teresa thought sarcastically, wishing she could say that, _'I got bored and thought I'd entertain myself by playing in the dirt.' _

But she didn't instead she responded as politely as she could manage, "No ma'am, I tripped and fell and-"

Lady Rebecca cut her off, "Where is the food? And the new fabrics I asked you to get? And my tea?" she barked.

"When I fell I dropped it all on the street and a cart ran over it." Teresa lied; Lady Rebecca was silent for a moment.

"You dropped it!" she hissed her face turning red. Teresa said nothing.

"You dropped it!"

"I didn't mean to-"

"You clumsy little oaf! You bumbling idiot! You stupid nitwit!" Lady Rebecca screamed. Behind her Teresa heard the creak of doors as Lorelei and Sophie poked their heads out to see what all the commotion was about.

"I asked you to do a few simple errands!" She continued shrieking.

"A few simple errands?" Teresa cried incredulously. "You wanted me to bring you peppermint tea leaves soaked in lemon! You call that a simple errand? I had to visit three different tea shops before I found one that sold it!"

"How-how dare you speak to me that way!" Lady Rebecca stuttered furiously, "When I tell you to do something you do it! I will not let your incompetence ruin my life!"

"Look it wasn't my fault I tripped and fe-" Teresa began but Lady Rebecca slapped her hard in the face.

"Shut up! I am tired of your excuses. Mark my words tomorrow you will be punished severely for your insolence. I don't want to see you for the rest of the night. If I do, you and your precious little family will be out on the streets faster then you can shout wait! Now get out of my sight!" She snarled.

Teresa said nothing as she brushed past Lady Rebecca and climbed up the long flight of wooden stairs to her room and slammed her door in fury. She stood there for a moment trying to calm herself down with little success. An angry tear rolled down her cheek and she let it slide off her chin and onto her coarse work dress. Walking over to her bed she paused catching sight of her reflection in the mirror. She was a wreck. Her dress was muddy and covered in dust. There were also a few tears, most noticeably a large rip along her left sleeve. Her hair was a tangled mess and on her right cheek the outline of a hand was beginning to appear. She touched it gently; it was very warm and still stung. Teresa sighed, she had never really been concerned with her appearance but this was pitiful. Removing the worn dress she placed it gently on the only chair in the room promising to mend it the next day. She winced slightly as she slipped into her nightgown. Her stomach growled loudly reminding her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Suddenly there was a knock on her door. '_Now who could that be?' _she wondered walking over. Opening it cautiously she was pleasantly surprised to see Sam standing outside.

"Lady Rebecca is sending me into town to get food." He informed her.

"Good to know," She replied stiffly, feeling guilty that Sam was being punished because of her.

"I thought you might want this before I go." He smiled producing a small loaf of bread from behind his back.

"Thanks!" Teresa exclaimed gratefully taking it from him.

"Your welcome, so what happened in town today?" Sam asked casually. Teresa looked up from the bread in her hands.

"I ran into Red John." She replied after a moment, Sam's eyes widened.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Teresa shook her head, "No but he tried to."

"How did you escape?" he inquired curiously.

"A man was passing by and he distracted Red John enough so that I could escape."

Sam's eyes widened further. "That was incredibly brave of him." Teresa nodded in agreement.

"Did you manage to catch his na-"

"Sam! Sam! Get down here!" Came Lady Rebecca's sharp voice from downstairs.

"Coming Ma'am!" he called glaring contemptuously down the wooden stairs.

"Hurry up! I don't like to be kept waiting!"

"I swear someday I'm gonna knock her and her damn cat clear across the kingdom!" he grumbled.

Teresa laughed, "I've got dibs on Lorelei and Sophie."

"That's fine by me, those two could use a good kick in the-"

"Sam! Get down here this instant!" Lady Rebecca screeched.

"Well I guess I should go. See you later Teresa." Sam called walking away

"Bye Sam thanks for the bread!" Teresa waved as he disappeared down the stairs.

She shut her door, walked back over to her bed and sitting down began to eat staring out the window as she chewed. The large clock tower was glowing brightly and behind it the castle shown even brighter. '_I wonder what it's like there' _she thought finishing off her meager meal. Her thoughts turned to the young man she had met today, who was he? Why did he look so familiar? '_I wonder if I'll ever meet him again' _she pondered thoughtfully staring out the small window.

Meanwhile at the castle Patrick Jane sat gazing out one of the many large windows that were evenly spaced throughout the dinning room. All his attention was focused on girl he had met earlier. He kept picturing her face in his mind. _'Who was she?'_

"Patrick? Patrick?" His father called across the table trying to regain his son's attention.

"Dear?" his mother echoed.

"Yes," he replied distantly, "I'm listening."

"This is the third time you've run off this week!" King Alexander continued.

"Why do you do this dear?" The queen asked sadly, "Do you not like it here?"

"No Mother its not that I just-"

"When we found out you were gone your poor mother had a heart attack!" interrupted the king.

"With all due respect sir, I am looking at her and I can confidently say she did not have a heart attack." Patrick replied.

"Well she could have had one." His father mumbled.

"Well she didn't so if you will please excuse me I'm going to the library."

"Wait!" King Alexander called; Patrick turned around and walked over to them.

"Your Mother and I have decided to-"

"Host a ball and invite all "eligible" woman in the kingdom to it." Patrick finished.

"How did you know?" His mother asked gasping.

"It was really quite easy to figure out, I saw some of the servants putting up streamers and you left out the list of all the guests in the library." He explained casually.

"Very observant." Commented his father with a proud smile.

"I can assure you that I will not find anyone at this ball." He told them before walking towards the door, he signaled for Rigsby and Cho to follow him.

"We'll see. Oh it's a masquerade, so be sure to have a colorful costume, Rigsby, Cho! You too!" His father called as they left.

"A masquerade? Sounds interesting." Rigsby said with a smile. "What do you think you'll go as Cho?" he asked his friend.

"Maybe a zebra." He replied pulling out a battered book.

"I think I'm going to be a…panther!" Rigsby declared excitedly.

"No a panther is to graceful for you, you should be a bear." Cho stated bluntly.

Patrick laughed a little. "I agree with Cho a bear definitely suits you."

"Well what are you going as Jane?" Rigsby asked his face red with embarrassment.

"I don't know, I'll decide later." Patrick responded dismissively as they entered the huge library. There were shelves upon shelves of books all sizes and on all different subjects.

"Well while you two ladies browse through here I'm going to take a nap." Rigsby announced plopping down on a large couch. Patrick stared out the large window that looked over the village '_I wonder when I'll see her again.'_


End file.
